A PAINTING pig has brought home the bacon — after her latest piece of streaky art sold for a record £20,000.

The porky prodigy, nicknamed Pigcasso, took several weeks to create an absolute banger of a canvas — with her snout.

And within 72 hours of Wild and Free’s release, German Peter Esser paid £20,000 for the “profound” work, smashing the previous animal art record of £14,400.

It is one of 400-plus paintings made by Pigcasso since owner Joanne Lefson saved her from the slaughterhouse five years ago.

She said: “It’s not just a visually striking and beautiful painting — it’s a profound moment for Pigcasso, and for farm animals.

You can’t look at it and not place greater value on their intelligence, individual and creativity.”

The pair live in the Franschhoek Valley of South Africa at Farm Sanctuary, where proceeds from the sale go.

Pigcasso came as a piglet, and Joanne noticed her knack for art after brushes were left in her stall by accident.

A painting by a chimp called Congo sold for a record £14,400 in 2005 — and Joanne had that in mind when developing Pigcasso’s latest concept.

But she added: “I wanted to have Pigcasso create something that had never been done before.

An oversize, larger-than-life canvas that could challenge the intrinsic value of an artwork created by an animal.”

For this week’s historical feature, Margaret Mills related the tale of the Essex poisoner, Mary May of Wix, who it seems rather uncharitably “bumped off” her half-brother – SPRATTY WATTS shortly after taking out a life insurance policy on his life.

Listen again here to all the sordid details of this affair: –

Hope to catch you again next week,
Scott